Wealth development game

ABSTRACT

A board game is configured for learning and practicing principles of wealth development. The board game broadly includes, among other things, a game board, game tokens for tracking player movement during the game, activity cards that players draw in response to landing on board spaces, and a worksheet for tracking various financial metrics used for playing the game and for determining the winner. Each of the board spaces are associated with one or more wealth-building activity categories and direct the players to follow instructions that correspond with the respective categories. The worksheet includes sections for tracking financial metrics such as the player&#39;s income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and net worth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to board games. Morespecifically, embodiments of the present invention concern a board gamefor learning and practicing wealth-building principles.

2. Discussion of Prior Art

Board games are well known in the prior art and are configured to beused for a variety of purposes. For example, most prior art board gamesare configured primarily for entertainment purposes. While havingentertainment value, conventional games test the players' memorization,analytical, or creative skills in a general sense. It is also known inthe art for board games to include a financial aspect or a financialobjective. For example, some prior art games require players to use apredetermined amount of faux money during the course of the game. Otherprior art games identify the winner of the game as the player whoacquires the most money during the game.

Prior art board games are problematic and suffer from variousundesirable limitations. In particular, prior art board games that havean object of acquiring the most money fail to present a realisticenvironment for learning and practicing wealth-building principles. Forinstance, the interdependencies that normally occur in real life betweenaccounting activities and other activities that impact finances, such ascontinuing education or leadership roles, are not present in prior artgames. Instead, the prior art games generally operate so that anyfinancial aspects are overly simplified. Prior art board games also failto test players' ability to manage the non-accounting aspects ofbuilding wealth and to provide feedback on strategies used for buildingwealth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a board game that does not suffer fromthe problems and limitations of the prior art board games set forthabove. A first aspect of the present invention concerns a board game forplaying a wealth development game, with an object of the game being tomaximize net worth. The board game broadly includes a game board, aplurality of game pieces, a plurality of cards, and a fillable financialworksheet. The game board presents path indicia that define a pluralityof paths to be followed during the game. The plurality of game piecesare configured to be positioned on the game board to play the game. Eachof the plurality of paths includes a plurality of discrete activityspaces for receiving the game pieces. The plurality of cards arearranged in multiple activity card sets, wherein each of the cardspresents activity indicia designating a wealth activity that affects networth. Each of the activity spaces is associated with a correspondingone of the activity card sets, wherein landing one of the plurality ofgame pieces on one of the activity spaces directs selection of a cardfrom the corresponding activity card set. The fillable financialworksheet includes a plurality of sections, with each section includingworksheet indicia that designates a corresponding variable financialmetric to be tracked in the section during the game, wherein thefinancial metrics are used to calculate net worth. At least one of thefinancial metrics varies at least in part according to the activityindicia encountered as a result of the card selection during the game.

A second aspect of the present invention concerns a method of playing awealth development game, with an object of the game being to maximizenet worth. The method broadly includes the steps of having a player movea game piece along a game path that includes a plurality of activityspaces; upon the player landing on one of the activity spaces, havingthe player select a card from a respective one of multiple card decks,wherein each of the cards presents wealth activity indicia; providingthe player with a financial worksheet for tracking variable financialmetrics which are affected by the wealth activity indicia of theselected card; varying at least one of the financial metrics on thefinancial worksheet as directed by the wealth activity indicia of theselected card; and calculating net worth of the player based on theplurality of financial metrics.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments andthe accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail belowwith reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a wealth development board gameconstructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, showing a game board for playing the game;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the game board shown in FIG. 1 andidentifying a pair of game board sections;

FIG. 2 a is a fragmentary view of the game board shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,showing a left-hand one of the game board sections;

FIG. 2 b is a fragmentary view of the game board shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,showing a right-hand one of the game board sections;

FIG. 3 a is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token being in theshape of a small house;

FIG. 3 b is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token being in theshape of a large house;

FIG. 3 c is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token being in theshape of an apartment building;

FIG. 3 d is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token being in theshape of a oil pump;

FIG. 3 e is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token being in theshape of a gold bar

FIG. 3 f is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token presentingthe letters “LLC” in a three-dimensional form;

FIG. 3 g is a perspective view of a game token that is part of the boardgame and is used to identify an asset, with the game token representinga promissory note;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a Team, Leadership, and Conditioningcard set that a player draws from when the player's game piece lands ona Team, Leadership and Conditioning space on the game board;

FIG. 5 is a Challenge card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Challenge spaces on the gameboard;

FIG. 6 is a Wealth Account card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Wealth Account spaces on thegame board;

FIG. 7 is a Forecasting card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Forecasting spaces on the gameboard;

FIG. 8 is an Assets card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Assets spaces on the game board;

FIG. 9 is a Debt Management card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Debt Management spaces on thegame board;

FIG. 10 is a Entities card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Entities spaces on the gameboard;

FIG. 11 is a Cash Machine card set that the player draws from when theplayer's game piece lands on one of the Cash Machine spaces on the gameboard;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view of a bottom side of one of the cards,showing indicia in the form of a guitar, with the indicia beingassociated with rules that instruct the player to pass the card toanother player;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view of a bottom side of a card, showingindicia in the form of the word “CO-OP,” with the indicia beingassociated with rules that permit multiple players to use the card;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a financial worksheet of the board game,showing a front side of the worksheet including a plurality of sectionsthat are identified by indicia, with the sections identifying and beingoperable to track Scenario, Player, Monthly Income, Total Income,Monthly Expenditures, Total Expenditures, Pay Day, Assets, Total Assets,Liabilities, Total Liabilities, Net Worth, Forecast data, and TLCPoints;

FIG. 15 a is a plan view of a faux one million dollar bill used by theplayers as cash;

FIG. 15 b is a plan view of a faux one hundred thousand dollar bill usedby the players as cash;

FIG. 15 c is a plan view of a faux fifty thousand dollar bill used bythe players as cash;

FIG. 15 d is a plan view of a faux ten thousand dollar bill used by theplayers as cash;

FIG. 15 e is a plan view of a faux five thousand dollar bill used by theplayers as cash;

FIG. 15 f is a plan view of a faux one thousand dollar bill used by theplayers as cash;

FIG. 15 g is a plan view of a faux five hundred dollar bill used by theplayers as cash;

FIG. 15 h is a plan view of a faux one hundred dollar bill used by theplayers as cash;

FIG. 15 i is a plan view of a faux fifty dollar bill used by the playersas cash;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a set of three dice for use in randomlydetermining a number during the game;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a timer for predetermining an elapsedtime of the game and for identifying to the players the end of the game;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an electronic calculator of the boardgame;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a rule book of the board game;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of two pencils of the board game; and

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an accessory bag of the board game,with the bag being used for holding various board game components.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specificembodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning initially to FIG. 1, a board game 30 is disclosed thatincorporates the practice of wealth-building principles into play andincludes, among other things, a game board 32. However, while theillustrated board game 30 is a physical embodiment in that the gameboard 32 and the other game accessories are comprised of elements thathave a physical structure, it is within the ambit of the presentinvention where the board game 30 is either partly or entirely virtual.In other words, the principles of the present invention are applicablewhere the board game 30 is presented and played through the interface ofa conventional computer and operates either on that computer or onanother computer. For example, it is entirely within the scope of thepresent invention where the game board 32 is represented visually on acomputer monitor and play is controlled through a keyboard, mouse, orother peripheral of the computer. Also, while aspects of the illustratedboard game 30 are primarily directed to personal financial wealthbuilding practices, it is within the ambit of the present inventionwhere the board game 30 is directed to wealth building practices withinthe context of a corporation or other legal entity.

Turning to FIGS. 1, 2, 2 a, and 2 b, the game board 32 includes a pairof board sections 34 that are joined along a crease 36 that serves as aline of weakness and permits the board sections 34 to be folded from anunfolded condition to a folded condition (not shown) where the sections34 are folded onto one another. However, it is also consistent with theprinciples of the present invention where the sections 34 are entirelyseparable from one another. The board sections 34 cooperatively form ahexagonal-shaped perimeter 38 of the game board 32. The illustrated gameboard 32 is preferably constructed of cardboard with a printed uppersurface 40 that is covered by an outermost laminated layer. However, itis also within the scope of the present invention for the game board 32to be constructed of other materials such as plastic or wood.

The printed upper surface 40 presents various indicia for conducting thegame and generally includes an outer margin 42 that surrounds an innerpath area 44. The outer margin 42 extends along the perimeter 38 andpresents a plurality of card spaces 46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60, each ofwhich is defined by a corresponding border and includes respectiveidentification indicia 62 (in the form of words “Cash Machine”),64 (inthe form of the word “Entities”),66 (in the form of letters “TLC”),68(in the form of words “Debt Management”),70 (in the form of the word“Assets”),72 (in the form of the word “Challenge”),74 (in the form ofthe word “Forecasting”),76 (in the form of the words “Wealth Account”).The card spaces 46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60 are preferably positionedadjacent to vertices 78 formed by the outer margin 42. However, theprinciples of the present invention are applicable where the card spacesare positioned elsewhere, e.g., within the inner path area 44.Furthermore, the printed upper surface 40 could be alternativelyconfigured to present only the inner path area 44 with virtually noouter margin 42.

The inner path area 44 is configured for tracking play and preferablyincludes game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90. Each of the game paths80,82,84,86,88,90 is formed by corresponding path indicia92,94,96,98,100,102 so that the paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 preferably donot overlap one another. Furthermore, the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90preferably include a plurality of discrete spaces 104 that are arrangedso that the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 each form a loop shape. Thegame paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 are also arranged alongside one another soas to begin and end at a common space 106. More preferably, the gamepaths 80,82,84,86,88,90 each generally present a triangular shape andcooperatively present a hexagonal form of the inner area 44.

Each of the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 also preferably includescorresponding category indicia 108 (in the form of the words “CashMachine”), 110 (in the form of the word “Entities”), 112 (in the form ofthe words “Debt Management”), 114 (in the form of the words “Assets”),116 (in the form of the word “Forecasting”), 118 (in the form of thewords “Wealth Account”). The category indicia 108,110,112,114,116,118are spaced within and serve to uniquely identify each of the respectivegame paths 80,82,84,86,88,90. The category indicia108,110,112,114,116,118 also correspond to respective identificationindicia 62,64,68,70,74,76 in order to associate the paths withrespective ones of the card spaces 46,48,52,54,58,60, the purpose ofwhich will be discussed in greater detail.

As discussed, the path indicia 92,94,96,98,100,102 define discretespaces 104 along the corresponding path. Preferably, each of the gamepaths 80,82,84,86,88,90 includes eighteen (18) spaces 104 that arespaced somewhat uniformly along the length of the respective path.However, the principles of the present invention are equally applicablewhere the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 include either a larger orsmaller number of spaces. The game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 also includedirection indicia 120 in the form of arrows that serve to define adirection of movement along the respective path.

More specifically the spaces 104 are further identified by shadingindicia 122,124,126,128,130,132,134,136,138. Shading indicia122,124,126,128,130,132 are associated respectively with categoryindicia 108,110,112,114,116,118. Shading indicia 134 are associated withidentification indicia 66 and shading indicia 136 are associated withidentification indicia 72. The game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 also includeidentification indicia 140 (in the form of the letters “TLC”) spacedwithin shading indicia 134 and identification indicia 142 (in the formof the word “Challenge”) spaced within shading indicia 136. The commonspace 106 includes identification indicia 144 in the form of words“OPTION,” “TIME OUT,” and “WEALTH ACCOUNT” spaced along an outer edge ofthe common space 106. The common space 106 also includes shading indicia146.

In this manner, the game board 12 presents game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90that correspond with certain categories of wealth activities and serveto simulate steps for building wealth. As will be discussed further,players begin play by positioning their respective game pieces (notshown) in the common space 106. From the common space 106, players canchoose to proceed along one of the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90, butmust remain on the selected path through one or more turns until thatplayer returns to the common space 106.

In returning toward the common space 106, each player's game piece mayeither land on the common space 106 or go through the common space 106and continue onto another path. Upon either landing or passing throughthe common space 106, players receive a net income, referred to in thegame as “Pay Day,” and deposit a predetermined amount of money into anaccount, referred to as a “Wealth Account,” if they have chosen to doso. If their game piece lands on the common space 106, players canoptionally call for a pause in the game, referred to as a “Time Out” andcan draw a game card as will be discussed.

Again, the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 preferably include categoryindicia 108,110,112,114,116,118. For each path, half of the spaces 104preferably include the shading indicia 122,124,126,128,130,132 thatcorresponds to the category. These “in-category” spaces 104 are spacedalong the path in alternating fashion with other spaces 104 that do notcorrespond with the path category. In other words, each pair ofin-category spaces are separated from one another by a space 104 thatdoes not correspond to the path category. Specifically, some of thespaces 104 that are not in-category include shading indicia 138indicating that those spaces serve as a wild card space, referred to asan “Option” space, that allows the player to select a card from any ofthe game card sets as will be discussed in greater detail. Other spaces104 that are not in-category spaces are the Challenge and TLC spaces asdiscussed above. The principles of the present invention are equallyapplicable where each of the game paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 include analternative configuration of spaces 104, e.g., where less than half ormore than half of the spaces 104 are in-category spaces. Furthermore, itis within the ambit of the present invention where some of the spaces104 include no indicia for identifying an activity and, consequently, donot direct the player to select one of the game cards.

Turning to FIGS. 4-13, the board game 10 includes activity card setsincluding TLC card set 146, Challenge card set 148, Wealth Account cardset 150, Forecasting card set 152, Assets card set 154, Debt Managementcard set 156, Entities card set 158, and Cash Machine card set 160. Thecard sets 146,148,150,152,154,156,158,160 each include a plurality ofindividual cards, with the cards of each card set presenting on a frontlabel side 162 thereof corresponding card identification indicia 164 (inthe form of words “Team, Leadership, and Conditioning”), 166 (in theform of the word “Challenge”), 168 (in the form of the words “WealthAccount”),170 (in the form of the word “Forecasting”),172 (in the formof the word “Assets”),174 (in the form of the words “DebtManagement”),176 (in the form of the word “Entities”),178 (in the formof the words “Cash Machine”). The cards of each card set also present onthe front label side 162 corresponding abbreviation indicia 180 (in theform of letters “TLC”),182 (in the form of letters “Ch”),184 (in theform of the letter “W”),186 (in the form of the letter “F”),188 (in theform of the letter “A”),190 (in the form of the letters “DM”),192 (inthe form of the letter “E”),194 (in the form of the letter “C”). TheChallenge card set 148 preferably includes at least one card 196 with aback instruction side 198 that presents symbol indicia 200 in the formof a guitar (see FIG. 12). The card sets 152,154,160 preferably includeat least one card 202 with a back instruction side 204 that presentsidentification indicia 206 in the form of the word “CO-OP.” The use ofthese card sets will be explained in greater detail.

Turning to FIGS. 3 a-g, the board game 10 includes game tokens208,210,212,214,216,218,220. Each of the game tokens208,210,212,214,216,218,220 serve to identify assets that are acquiredduring play and include surface features and indicia to represent theasset. Game token 208 is in the shape of a small house. Game token 210is in the shape of a large house. Game token 212 is in the shape of anapartment building. Game token 214 is in the shape of an oil pumpingunit. Game token 216 is in the shape of a gold bar. Game token 218 is inthe shape of the letters “LLC.” Game token 220 is in the shape of apiece of paper with indicia that recites the words “Prom. Note.”However, the principles of the present invention are applicable wherethe board game 10 includes other types of game tokens to representcorresponding assets.

Turning to FIG. 14, the board game 10 further includes a financialworksheet 222 for each player to track their net worth and the financialmetrics that are used to play the game and calculate net worth. Theworksheet 222 includes line indicia 224 that define worksheet sectionsincluding a game identification section 226, a scenario section 228, aplayer identification section 230, an income section 232, anexpenditures section 234, a net income section 236, an assets section238, a liabilities section 240, a net worth section 242, a forecastingsection 244, and a TLC Points section 246, which include correspondingworksheet identification indicia248,250,252,254,256,258,260,262,264,266. The worksheet 222 preferablycomprises a sheet of paper 8.5″×11″ in size. The sections 226,228,230are spaced along an upper margin of the worksheet 222 and preferablyoccupy about 1 inch of vertical space. The sections 232,234 are spacedbelow sections 226,228,230 and preferably occupy about 4 inches ofvertical space. Section 236 extends substantially across the entiresheet below sections 232,234 and occupies about ¼ inch of verticalspace. The sections 238,240 are spaced below section 236 and preferablyoccupy about 4 inches of vertical space. Sections 242,244,246 are spacedalong a lower margin of the sheet and preferably occupy about 1 inch ofvertical space. The game identification section 226 is configured toreceive a trademark (not shown) associated with the board game 10. Aswill be discussed, sections 232,234,236,238,240,242,244,246 areconfigured to record and track values for financial metrics as part ofthe game. Also, the worksheet 222 preferably includes indicia (notshown) on a back side of the worksheet 222 that asks the playerquestions and encourages the player to formulate a wealth plan.

The indicia 248 in the illustrated embodiment serves to identify ascenario of the worksheet 222 by presenting the words “Scenario: JedStone” within the scenario section 228. However, the indicia 248 couldinclude alternative words “Scenario: Allison Connor,” “Scenario: Mickand Mary Buchanan,” or “Scenario: Dee Newton” to identify other gamescenarios. Preferably, these alternative scenarios each have a uniqueset of initial values for the financial metrics presented therein.Indicia 250 presents the word “Player:” and is spaced within the playeridentification section 230 to provide room for the player to write theirname on the worksheet 222.

Income section 232 is preferably configured to record and track theplayer's income information. Indicia 252 presents uppermost heading“MONTHLY INCOME,” subheadings “Description” and “Amount,” and lowermostheading “TOTAL INCOME.” While not shown, the section 232 also includesindicia preferably including the terms “Job,” “Cash Machine Cash Flow,”“Real Estate & Businesses,” and “Prom. Notes” listed under theDescription subheading.

Within the expenditures section 234, preferably reserved for expenseinformation, indicia 254 presents the uppermost heading “MONTHLYEXPENDITURES,” subheadings “Description” and “Amount,” and lowermostheading “TOTAL EXPENDITURES.” Under the Description subheading, thesection 234 also includes indicia with the terms “Taxes,” “Rent,”“Credit Cards,” “Family Loan,” “Other,” and “Wealth AccountContribution” (all not shown).

Within the net income section 236, indicia 242 presents the words “PAYDAY=INCOME−EXPENDITURES=.”

Within the assets section 238, preferably reserved for assetinformation, indicia 258 presents the uppermost heading “ASSETS,”subheadings “Description,” “Entity,” and “Amount,” and lowermost heading“TOTAL ASSETS.” Under the Description subheading, the section 238 alsoincludes indicia “Cash Machine: Equip. Sales,” “Cash,” “Real Estate &Businesses,” “Prom. Notes,” and “Wealth Account” (all not shown). TheCash indicia preferably is associated with a corresponding initialamount based on the scenarios discussed above. For example, Jed Stonepreferably starts with $5,000, Allison Connor starts with $6,000, theBuchanans start with $144,000, and Dee Newton starts with $270,000.

Within the liabilities section 240, preferably reserved for liabilityinformation, indicia 260 presents the uppermost heading “LIABILITIES,”subheadings “Description” and “Amount,” and lowermost heading “TOTALLIABILITIES.” Under the Description subheading, the section alsoincludes indicia “Credit Cards” and “Family Loan” (all not shown).

Within the net worth section 242, indicia 262 presents the words “NETWORTH=ASSETS−LIABILITIES=.” Within the forecasting section 244, indicia264 presents the word “FORECAST” with the words “Income,” “Expense,”“Taxes,” and “Entities” being spaced to the right thereof. Within theTLC Points section 246, indicia 266 presents the words “TLC Points” withinteger numerals “1” through “10” being spaced to the right thereof fortracking the player's TLC points as will be discussed. The numerals “1”through “5” are grouped with one another in a first subsection, and thenumerals “6” through “10 are grouped with one another in a secondsubsection. As will be described in greater detail, the illustratedfinancial worksheet 222 is used to track various financial metricsthroughout the course of play.

In playing the board game 10, the players preferably use various othergame accessories. Turning to FIGS. 15 a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i, the board game10 includes faux bills 268,270,272,274,276,278,280,282,284 that serve ascash to be used by the players in playing the game. The illustratedbills 268,270,272,274,276,278,280,282,284 include value indicia286,288,290,292,294,296,298,300,302.

Turning to FIGS. 16-21, other accessories include dice 304, a timer 306,a calculator 308, a rule book 310, pencils 312, and a storage bag 314for holding the other accessories. The illustrated dice 304 preferablyinclude three dice, with each die having six (6) sides in the usualmanner. However, the principles of the present invention are applicablewhere another apparatus is used for generating random numbers, such as anumbered spinning wheel. The timer 306 is a conventional analog timer.The calculator 308 is a conventional electronic calculator and isoperable for making calculations to update various financial metrics asdiscussed herein. The rule book 310 is preferably a multiple pagepamphlet that explains how to play the board game 10.

Again, players preferably have the option of proceeding along one of thegame paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 that are identified by category indicia108,110,112,114,116,118. Each path includes spaces 104 that areassociated with the respective category, i.e., are in-category spaces,which direct the player to select a card from the respective card set160,158,156,154,152,150. All of the paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 alsopreferably include spaces 104 that are not in-category, e.g., spaceswith indicia that direct the player to select a card from one of theactivity card sets 146,148. All of the paths 80,82,84,86,88,90 alsopreferably include at least one Option space, i.e., a space 104 withshading indicia 138 that identifies that the player can select a cardfrom any one of the activity card sets 146,148,150,152,154,156,158,160.In selecting a card, the player normally has the option of taking theaction directed by the card if the requirements listed on the card aremet. However, the player preferably must take the action listed when aChallenge card is drawn. As discussed below, the instructions listed onthe card preferably direct the player to change one or more of thefinancial metrics on the worksheet 222.

In setting up the board game 10, the activity card sets146,148,150,152,154,156,158,160 are stacked in corresponding ones of thecard spaces 46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60. When players move their game pieces(not shown) so that the game piece lands on one of the spaces 104, theplayers are directed to select a card from a corresponding one of thecard sets. The cards in the card sets all preferably include instructionindicia (not shown), as will be discussed in greater detail. In general,players are not required to act according to instruction indicia on thecard, except for cards selected from the Challenge card set 148. In someinstances, the instruction indicia may preclude players from followingthe instructions if they do not meet certain requirements.

The TLC card set 146 preferably includes cards with instruction indicia(not shown) that concern the entrepreneurial principals of Team, i.e.,assembling a team of advisors, consultants, and workers, Leadership,i.e., taking on a strong leadership role, and Conditioning, i.e.,maintaining a high level of entrepreneurial readiness. TLC cards can beselected by a player when the player lands on either a TLC space or onan Option space. The TLC cards preferably grant TLC points to the playerwho draws one of the cards and the player records that number of pointsin the TLC section 246 by circling the appropriate number. However, theplayer can follow the directions listed on a TLC card only if thatplayer can meet the requirements listed on the card and also has thenecessary money. If the player already has TLC points, then the newlyawarded TLC points are added to the existing points. Each playerpreferably can only earn up to 10 TLC points. Preferably, the playerdoes not lose TLC points during the course of the game by using the TLCpoints to meet the requirement of an activity card, with one exceptionto be discussed below.

The instruction indicia on each TLC card lists the number of TLC points,preferably in the form of a unit-less integer number, that the playerwill record for continuing play. For example, the card may recite “Youreceive X TLC Points,” where X equals an integer number of points thatpreferably ranges from zero (0) to ten (10). The instructions alsorequire a certain investment of cash by the player in exchange for theTLC points. For example, the card may recite “Investment: $Y,” where Yis a dollar investment that preferably ranges from nothing up to$12,000. The players can only use cash to pay for TLC cards and notmoney deposited in the Wealth Account

Preferably, some of the TLC cards have instruction indicia differentfrom the other cards. Generally, the instruction indicia describe anactivity that the player has taken to improve their team-building,leadership, or conditioning level. Examples of indicia that describesuch activities include: “Overcoming your fears, you pick up the phone &interview a few Attorneys;” “After listening to the Wealth Diva CD youmake a decision to pursue your dreams;” “Reading The Millionaire Maker'sGuide to Wealth Cycle Investing has given you clarity & direction inpursuit of your business goals;” “You ask a few wealthy friends abouttheir CPA. You interview several & hire your favorite;” “You join alocal commerce group & network with members;” “You take a retiredexecutive to dinner & learn a great deal about business operations;”“You join a local rental owner's association & network with manyvisionary peers;” “You join a local health club. The exercise clearsyour mind;” “A great “find” answers your ad & you find a bookkeeper;”“After joining the Denominators (a local social club) you find yourCPA;” “You post an ad in the local college accounting department & youfind a bookkeeper;” “You purchase a new smart phone to stay in touchwith your wealth team & your customers;” “You consistently donate to thecharity of your choice;” “Also, advance to the next Option space & drawanother card;” “You consistently donate to a local charity;” “Also, roll1, 2, or 3 dice on your next turn;” “You go to a local entrepreneurs'seminar & start a mastermind group with visionary peers;” “You donatetime & money to a local youth home & the kids learn what it's like toown a business;” “You sponsor a little league team & meet many newcontacts;” “You return from a seminar about the power of believing inyourself,” “After listening to your complaints about not having enoughtime, a friend recommends an assistant;” “You purchase a softwareprogram to streamline your billing process. Your bookkeeper implementsit;” “You attend a leadership course that applies to running abusiness;” “A retired executive assistant decides retirement is tooboring for her & wants to work again;” “You personally conduct acomprehensive inventory of all your equipment & realize your time wouldbe better spent marketing;” “You spend a lot of money on one of thoseget-rich-quick schemes on late night TV & learn not to do that again;”“You hire a very expensive attorney for a house purchase closing;” “Yousign up & attend a Team Made Millionaire seminar & it changes yourlife;” “You read The Millionaire Maker & discover insight into creatingthe financial future of your dreams;” “Completing the Building YourWealth Cycles CD set inspires you to make changes in your financiallife;” “After watching the Real Estate GPS DVD series, you make an offeron your first rental house;” “You purchase & listen to The Expression ofYour Power CD Set;” “Purchasing your last home leads to greater thingsbecause you asked lots of questions. You find a real estate broker;”“While talking to a young woman wearing a ‘Geeks Rule the World’ teeshirt, you are so impressed by her that you hire a new IT consultant;”“You see “Pixels Rule!” on a bumper sticker & start asking questions.This conversation leads you to hire a graphic designer;” “After joininga local real estate investment association, you find a group ofvisionary peers;” “After an Internet search & a few phone calls you hirea business broker for your next deal;” “You head-hunt a successfulpublic relations (PR) person from an adjacent town & you find a PRspecialist;” “You return from a weekend seminar on business valuations;”“You return from a weekend seminar on real estate investing;” “Youreturn from an incredible 3-day seminar about investing your IRA innon-traditional vehicles;” “You hire the best marketing consultant intown;” “You apply the principles learned in the CD set Building, Leading& Protecting Your Business to your own business;” “You purchase the RealEstate as Leverage CD set & learn that you need to set up entities foryour real estate holdings;” “You donate money to a local charity &volunteer to head up next year's fund raising campaign;” “Also, advanceto the next OPTION space & draw a card,” “You attended a weekend seminaron structuring your business & a plan to get it done;” “You attendLoral's Wealth Building Workshop (The Blitz) & learn there are so manyways to maximize the potential of your personal & business finances;”“You attend Loral's Cash Machine Workshop & learn to turbo-charge yourcurrent business;” “You sign up for Wealth Acceleration Coaching &shortly realize it was the best decision of your life;” “You attendLoral's R.E.A.L. Wealth Tour & learn how to build a successful RealEstate system you learned on the street, not just in class;” “You take amonth off & focus on getting your priorities in life straight;” and “Youfinally decide it's time to stop living at the ‘kid's table’ & attendThe Big Table.;” “You receive investment ideas, meet visionary peers, &receive an enormous amount of conditioning.”

The Challenge card set 148 comprises cards with instruction indicia thatgenerally present players with a challenge that can negatively affectnet worth. The instruction indicia generally includes a description of aparticular event. The instruction indicia then provides a penalty forthe event. The penalty preferably is any instruction that wouldnegatively impact net worth. For example, the penalty could be aninstruction to increase the player's expenditures, to decrease income(either from a job or from a cash machine as will be discussed), toincrease tax liability, to lose either asset value or income from anexisting investment, to lose an asset entirely, to lose at least oneturn, or to lose a TLC point. In some situations, the instructionindicia will permit the player to mitigate the loss by the use of creditacquired by a forecasting activity or because the player has created anentity that prevents any assets from being affected.

Some Challenge cards also present symbol indicia 200 in the form of aguitar, which instructs the player that the player can give the card toanother player who is seated to the player's left. Preferably, thereceiving player must accept the penalty unless the receiving playerrolls a certain number to permit the receiving player to pass the cardto yet another player. Specifically, if the receiving player rolls a 1or 3 from a single die, the receiving player must follow theinstructions. Otherwise, the card can be passed to yet another player onthe receiving player's left. The card can be passed around the tableuntil it reaches the original player, in which case the original playermust follow the instructions.

Examples of instruction indicia that describe an event in connectionwith a particular challenge include: “A disgruntled employee is injuredon the job & is suing you.;” “A tenant falls on your slippery stairs. Heshows up in court with a neck brace. The rest is history.;” “A lawsuitis filed against your Cash Machine.;” “A real estate deal falls through& you lose the earnest money.;” “One of the Promissory Notes you owndefaults, & they are unable to pay you back.;” “That thing you weredoing at work that you thought no one would find out about . . . guesswhat?;” “The CPA you hire is way too aggressive with your deductions &you are audited.;” “The new exploration crew, Darryl & Associates,cannot locate any gas wells.;” “The endangered spotted toad is found onthe site of an Oil rig. Oil company goes bankrupt.;” “You ‘volunteer’ totake a pay cut to help meet year-end profit targets.;” “You are audited& fined for tax evasion.;” “You are sued personally. We can't go intothe details without badly embarrassing you.;” “You are PERSONALLY suedbecause your newly trained pit bull attacked your mother in law.;” “Youare personally sued when a houseguest falls off your 2nd story deck(which has no railing).;” “You are proud of your new ski boat until youreceive the bill for the first payment.;” “You are involved in‘questionable’ business practices.;” “You bad-mouth your competitors.;”“Your boss decides he needs more vacation money so he cuts your pay.;”“Your boss' son (a natural disaster) takes over the payroll departmentof your job.;” “Your business is identified in a high profile lawsuit.;”“Your cash machine has the wrong tax structure.;” “Your Cash Machinegrows so quickly that customer service begins to suffer.;” “You decideyou need anew automobile & lease your first German sports car.;” “Youdecide to send your child to your city's best private school.;” “Youdidn't do enough research on your latest equipment purchase & get takento the cleaners.;” “You do no tax planning at the beginning of theyear.;” “You end up paying back taxes.;” “You failed to plan your taxesfor next year with your CPA.;” “You get sued for not complying withlocal housing rules.;” “You get a divorce & the judge decides you needto pay alimony.;” “You go to the track & bet on a horse named CrookedLeg.;” “You have been found guilty of unfair housing practices.;” “Youhire your brother-in-law to head up customer service.;” “Your interestfree, no-money-down furniture loan is due.;” “Your IT manager joins thePeace Corps.;” “Your last audit revealed “interesting” accountingactivities.;” “You lose customers because you went on a two-monthvacation.;” “You never get to that book you meant to read.;” “Your newmotorcycle lease is more than expected.;” “You quit your daily readinghabit & stop calling your mentor.;” “You were mowing your lawn & missedan important business call.;” “While vacuuming your house, an importantbusiness call went unnoticed.;” “A tenant's injury is linked to a safetydiscrepancy noted by the Housing Department on last year's inspection.;”“The CPA you hire is way too conservative with your deductions & you payfar more than you should in taxes.;” “We don't have enough time for thisstory. Just believe us when we say you no longer want that receptionistworking for you.;” “While snorkeling to clean out your pool drain, youlost track of time & missed an important business lunch.;” “You haveAunt Sally prepare your taxes. You then hire a REAL professional toclean up the mess.;” “Your bookkeeper quits right before you need tofile your taxes & you have to rush to get them in on time. You missseveral critical deductions.;” and “Your ex found a new lawyer. Thatlawyer found your business shares. Your business shares have a newhome.”

Examples of instruction indicia that describe the penalty for acorresponding challenge event include: “Everyone at the table BUT yougets 1 TLC Point.;” “Everyone at the table BUT you gets an extra$10,000.00 cash right now.;” “Lose 3 turns.;” “Lose 2 turns.;” “Roll adie. If you roll a 1, hand this card to the person on your left.;” “Rolla die. If you roll a 6, pass this card to your left.;” “Your “Other”Expenditures increase $200 (unless you have forecasted your expenses).;”“Your “Other” Expenditures increase $400 (unless you have forecastedyour expenses).;” “Your “Other” Expenditures increase $500 (unless youhave forecasted your expenses).;” “Your “Other” Expenditures increase$1,000 (unless you have forecasted your expenses).;” “Your Cash Machinecash flow decreases $500 (unless you've forecasted your income).;” “YourCash Machine cash flow decreases $1,000 (unless you've forecasted yourincome).;” “Your Cash Machine cash flow decreases $1,000 (unless youhave forecasted your income).;” “Your Cash Machine cash flow decreases$500 (unless you've forecasted your income).;” “Your Job incomedecreases $400 (unless you've forecasted your income);” “Your Job incomedecreases $500 (even if you've forecasted your income).;” “Your Jobincome decreases $500 (even if you have forecasted your income).;” “YourJob income decreases $1,000 (unless you have forecasted your income).;”“You Lose $20,000 Cash;” “You Lose $10,000 Cash;” “You Lose 1 Turn;”“You Lose 1 TLC point.;” “You Lose 2 Turns.;” “You Lose 2 TLC points.;”“You Lose 3 TLC points.;” “You Lose 4 TLC points.;” “You must pay$20,000;” “Your Tax Expenditures increase $300 (unless you've forecastedyour taxes).;” “Your Tax Expenditures increase $500 (unless you'veforecasted your taxes).;” “Your Tax Expenditures go up $500 (unless youhave forecasted your taxes).;” “Your Tax Expenditures go up $500 (unlessyou've forecasted your taxes).;” “Your Tax Expenditures go up $1,000(unless you have forecasted your taxes).;” “Your Tax Expenditures go up$1,000 (unless you've forecasted your taxes).;” “Your Tax Expendituresincrease $1,000 (unless you've forecasted your taxes).;” “Also, if yourCash Machine in not in an entity, you lose ALL of your other assets notin an entity. (You may use a Forecasted entity for your Cash Machinenow.);” “ANY rental property you own NOT in an entity is now GONE. (Youmay use a Forecasted entity to protect ONE rental property now.);”“Everyone at the table BUT YOU loses their entire asset value & incomefrom a SINGLE Gas investment.;” “The Income from any BUSINESS SHARES youown NOT in an entity is now GONE. (You may use a Forecasted entity toprotect ONE business now.);” “The income from ALL of your rentalproperties NOT in an entity is GONE. (You may use a Forecasted entity toprotect ONE rental property now.);” “You lose ANY Cash Machine cashflow, Business shares, Oil/Gas, & Prom. notes if they are NOT in anentity. (You may use a Forecasted entity to protect ONE asset now.);”and “You lose ALL your Cash Machine cash flow if your Cash Machine isNOT in an entity. (You may use a Forecasted entity to protect your CashMachine now).”

The Wealth Account card set 150 comprises cards, each of which presentan instruction that permits players to change a monthly contribution bythe player to a wealth account, which is included as an asset. In turn,the players must make a corresponding increase to the amount of monthlyexpenditures. The cards also include an instruction that permits playersto make a one-time deposit of cash into the wealth account. In someinstances, the one-time deposit may be made in addition to theadjustment of monthly contributions. In other instances, theinstructions permit only one of the two actions.

All players preferably begin the game with no money in their wealthaccount. Upon the selection of a wealth account card, because of landingon a corresponding wealth account space or on an option space, a playercan choose to deposit money in the wealth account, either periodicallyor on a one-time only basis. In making a deposit of money, the playernotes the deposit in the Expenditures section 234 and in the Assetssection 238 next to the subheading Wealth Account. The player must alsogive the corresponding amount of cash to the bank. In other instances,the wealth account card may simply direct the player to add value to theWealth Account without depositing money.

Examples of instruction indicia that describe instructions concerningchanges to the wealth account include: “Change the monthly contributionto your Wealth Account. Account for this in the ‘Expenditures’ section.Then adjust your Total Expenditures & Pay Day.;” “Change the monthlycontribution to your Wealth Account in the “Expenditures” section. Thenchange the Total Expenditures & your Pay Day.;” “Deposit any amount ofcash into your Wealth Account. Indicate this in the “Asset” section.;”“The Value of your Wealth Account increases $1,000.;” “The Value of yourWealth Account increases $5,000.;” “The Value of your Wealth Accountincreases $10,000.;” and “Indicate this in your “Asset” section.”

The Forecasting card set 152 comprises cards, each of which present aninstruction that permits players to receive credit that can be used tomitigate a challenge later in the game. In particular, the instructionsmay specify that the player receives a credit for forecasting futureexpenses, future income, future taxes, or the need for future entities.The cards also preferably present an instruction that requires theplayer to have one or more TLC points in order to receive theforecasting credit. Furthermore, the cards present an instruction thatrequires a cash investment by the player in order to receive theforecasting credit. The cards also present an instruction that directsthe player to record and keep track of the credit for future use, aswill be discussed further.

In using a Forecasting card, the player makes any instructed paymentwith cash and notes the amount in the Expenditures section 234. Theplayer also makes a note in the corresponding subsection of theForecasting section 244. This credit may be used later in the game tomitigate a challenge card or otherwise meet the requirements listed onanother activity card. Following use of the credit, the player thenerases or otherwise removes that credit from the Forecasting section244. However, the player is not required to use the forecasting creditat any particular time.

Examples of instruction indicia that describe a forecasting eventinclude: “Forecast Future Expenses.;” “Forecast Future Income.;”“Forecast Future Taxes;” and “You Forecast Entities needed for FutureAssets.” Instruction indicia examples that describe what the player mustpay in order to receive forecasting credit include: “Investment: $500;”“Investment: $1,000;” “Investment: $2,000;” “Investment: $3,000;”“Investment: $5,000;” “Requires: 1 TLC Point;” “Requires: 2 TLC Points;”“Requires: 3 TLC Points;” and “Requires: 4 TLC Points.” Instructionindicia examples that describe the credit to be received by the playerinclude: “Place a tally mark next to “Entities” in the Forecastingsection. You may place any asset into any entity at any time. Once youuse this entity, remove the tally mark.;” “Place a tally mark next to“Expenses” in the Forecasting section & you are not subject to the nextexpense challenge. Once you overcome this challenge, remove the tallymark.;” “Place a tally mark next to “Income” in the Forecasting section& you are not subject to the next income challenge. Once you overcomethis challenge, remove the tally mark.;” and “Place a tally mark next to“Taxes” in the Forecasting section & you are not subject to the next taxchallenge. Once you overcome this challenge, remove the tally mark.”

The Assets card set 154 includes cards, some of which recite an assetfor sale while others direct players to increase the value of assetsalready owned. Asset cards allow players to build wealth from cash flowprovided by the asset and from asset appreciation. Generally, the playercan purchase assets or receive credit for additional asset value if theplayer meets requirements listed on the card. Cards provided in theAssets card set 154 list assets such as apartments, duplexes, retailbuildings, shares or other form of company ownership, and promissorynotes. However, the principles of the present invention are applicablewhere other types of assets are listed. Preferably, the player thatdraws one of the cards has the option of purchasing the asset listed onthe card.

Examples of asset descriptions on Asset cards include: “10-UNITAPARTMENTS FOR SALE;” “100-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDINGS FOR SALE;” “2 BRHOMES FOR SALE;” “2 major manufacturing plants move to your town;”“25-UNIT STRIP MALLS FOR SALE;” “3 magazines call your town the “bestplace to live.;” “3-UNIT RETAIL BUILDINGS FOR SALE;” “4-UNIT OFFICEBUILDINGS FOR SALE.;” “ABUNDANT OIL & GAS WELLS FOUND!;” “Account. TWOavailable.;” “ANY PLAYER may use this card;” “COFFEE HOUSE COMPANY SEEKSPROMISSORY NOTE INVESTORS;” “Company PAYS BACK its PROMISSORY NOTE;”“Company claims to have invented the mocha bean;” “Company has done workin Milan, Paris & Peoria;” “Company's products are suddenly in highdemand;” “DUPLEXES FOR SALE;” “Erase this asset & any associatedincome;” “For the first time ever, you love oil & gas companies;” “GAMECOMPANY SEEKS PROMISSORY NOTE INVESTORS;” “GAS DRILLING COMPANY SEEKSINVESTORS;” “Great management & let's face it, we all use it;” “Hugepopulation influx spurs enormous appreciation;” “Huge earthquake turnsyour property into waterfront;” “LASER HAIR REMOVAL COMPANY SEEKSPROMISSORY NOTE INVESTORS;” “Looks like they've hit the mother load!;”“Managers experienced, but flawed business plan;” “May sell at thisvalue by erasing the asset & income;” “OIL DRILLING CO. SEEKSINVESTORS;” “OIL & GAS COMPANIES HIT GUSHERS!;” “OIL & GAS CO. STRIKEHUGE WELLS!;” “PRIVATE FASHION COMPANY SELLS EQUITY SHARES;” “PRIVATEELECTRONICS COMPANY SELLS EQUITY SHARES;” “PRIVATE WINE MAKING COMPANYSELLS EQUITY SHARES;” “PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SELLS EQUITYSHARES;” “SEVERAL DUPLEXES FOR SALE;” “TEN are available;” “The value ofALL rentals 4-UNITS OR LESS DOUBLES;” “They never drill in protectedtundra lands;” “They've hired a new seismic geologist;” “Value of aSINGLE company's equity shares you own TRIPLE (NOT your stocks, Oil/Gas,IRA, or 401K);” “You may opt to sell at this value by erasing the asset,paying off the liability, & erasing the income & expenditure;” “You arepaid back on any Promissory Note you own at 120% the original value;”“You drive a hybrid car, but still see the value of gas;” “You finallyget a good property manager;” “You may keep these shares or sell themback at this time ONLY;” “You may opt to sell at this value by erasingthe asset & erasing the income;” “You may opt to sell at this value byerasing the asset, paying off the liability, & erasing the income &expenditure;” “You're paid back on any Promissory Note you own at 120%the original value;” “You then buy your business broker a nice gift!;”and “Your town has always been great, but now everyone knows it.”

The Asset cards preferably present an instruction that requires theplayer to have one or more TLC points in order to purchase the asset,e.g., “Requires: 2 TLC Points.” The Asset cards also preferably presentan instruction that requires the player to purchase the asset usingmoney from the player's Wealth Account, e.g., “($1,000 increments fromWealth Account only);” “$10,000 down PER duplex from Wealth Account, TWOavailable;” and “$100,000 down PER building from Wealth Account.” Theamount of investment preferably ranges from about $1,000 to about$800,000 per building and investment amounts can generally range up toabout $5,000,000. The Asset cards present indicia that recites theamount of monthly income and expenses associated with the asset, e.g.,“Income: none;” “Income: $100 per $5,000 invested (24% ROI);” “Income:$500/home Expenses: $400/home;” “Income: $500/duplex Expenses:$600/duplex;” “Income: $700 Expenses: $500;” “Income: $8,500/bldg.Expenses: $6,000/bldg.;” “Invest $1,000-$1,000,000;” “PossibleAppreciation: 110-120%;” “property purchase TRIPLES;” and “propertypurchase increases $100/unit/month.” The income of a building can alsorange from about $1000 to about $55,000, while the expenses can rangefrom about $400 to about $40,000. Income in general can range from about$100 and up and can be made dependent on the amount invested. Theprinciples of the present invention are also applicable where the incomeand expenses values are higher or lower than these illustrated values.Furthermore, the indicia recites the asset value of the asset and alsolists the resulting debt or liability as a result of purchasing theasset, e.g., “Asset: $40,000/home Liability: $35,000/home;” “Asset:$45,000/home Liability: $40,000/home;” “Asset: $50,000 Liability:$45,000;” “Asset: $100,000/duplex Liability: $80,000/duplex;” and“Asset: $110,000/bldg. Liability: $90,000/bldg.” The indicia alsopreferably identifies the Cash Flow and Return On Investment (ROI) forthe asset, e.g., “Cash Flow=$0/home (0% ROI);” “Cash Flow=−$100/duplex(−12% ROI);” “Cash Flow=$200 (48% ROI);” and “Cash Flow=$400/bldg. (16%ROI).” The principles of the present invention are also applicable wherethe assets, liabilities, and ROI values are higher or lower than theseillustrated values.

In purchasing the asset listed on the Asset card, the player preferablymay only purchase the assets with money from the Wealth Account and notfrom cash. The cost of the asset is subtracted from the player's WealthAccount in the Asset section 238 of the worksheet 222. The player thenwrites a short description of the asset on a separate line in the Assetsection 238, with the corresponding asset value. If the value of anexisting asset increases, the value of the asset is changed in the Assetsection 238. The liability amount of the asset, if any, is recorded inthe Liability section 240. Any periodic income from the asset isrecorded in the Income section 232. Any periodic expenses are recordedin the Expenditure section 234. Any changes to income or expendituresare later incorporated into calculations for Total Income in the Incomesection 232, Total Expenditures in the Expenditures section 234, and netincome, i.e., Pay Day, in the Net Income section 236.

The Debt Management card set 156 includes cards, each of which presentindicia that instruct the player to pay an existing debt, preferablyusing cash, e.g., “Using your cash, pay off the FULL amount of the debtof your choice.;” “Using your cash, pay off HALF the amount of the debtof your choice.;” “(You may NOT use your Wealth Account.);” “Erase theENTIRE liability of the debt in the “Liability” section & the ENTIREassociated expenditure in the “Expenditure” section.;” and “Reduce yourdebt & expenditure by HALF in the Liability & Expenditure sections.”However, it is consistent with the principles of the present inventionfor the player to use other assets for payment of debt. The indiciapresented by the Debt Management cards also instruct the player toreduce the amount of debt accordingly in the Liability section 240 andto reduce the amount of monthly expenditures in the Expenditures section234.

Generally, debts may only be paid by selecting a Debt Management card.The player preferably is permitted to pay debts only by using cash andnot from money deposited in the Wealth Account. As shown, DebtManagement cards permit the player to pay an entire single debt or pay aportion of that debt if the player meets any listed requirements. Anypayment of debt is reflected on the worksheet 222 by either erasing thedebt or changing the debt accordingly in the Expenditures section 234.The player then adjusts the amount of Total Expenditures in theExpenditures section 234 and the value of Pay Day in the Net Incomesection 236. The player also adjusts the Liabilities section 240 byerasing or changing the amount of the debt and changing the TotalLiabilities amount accordingly. The player can further update the valuefor Net Worth in the Net Worth section 242.

The Entities card set 158 includes cards, each of which present indiciathat instructs the player to create an entity. The entity is generally alegal entity such as an LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, or Limited Partnership, andthe player may be presented with the option of selecting one of thesetypes of entities. The indicia also instructs the player to record theentity and associate the entity with at least one asset owned by theplayer. The cards preferably present an instruction that requires theplayer to have one or more TLC points in order to form the entity. Thecards also present an instruction that recites the monetary investmentrequired to form the entity.

In using Entities cards, the player can use entities to protect assetsfrom unexpected tax, legal, and other challenges provided that theplayer meets any listed requirements. Entity cards preferably may onlybe purchased with cash and not with money from the Wealth Account. Thepurchased entity is reflected on the worksheet 222 by recording theentity in the entity column of the Asset section 238, either next to anexisting asset or next to a blank space for use with a later-purchasedasset. The player gives cash to the bank to pay for the entity and thenreduces the amount of cash listed in the Asset section 238.

Examples of instruction indicia that describe the creation of an entityinclude: “You create the entity of your CHOICE (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, orLimited Partnership) for one or more of your assets. Indicate thisentity next to your asset in the ‘Assets’ section.;” “You create anS-Corp for one or more of your assets. Indicate this entity next to oneof your assets in the “Assets” section.;” “You create an LLC for one ormore of your assets. Indicate this entity next to one of your assets inthe ‘Assets’ section.;” “You create a C-Corp for ONE of your assets.Indicate this entity next to one of your assets in the ‘Assets’section.;” and “You create a Limited Partnership (LP) for one or more ofyour assets. Indicate this entity next to one of your assets in the“Assets” section.”

Examples of instruction indicia that describe what a player must pay inorder to create an entity include: “Investment: $500;” “Investment:$500/S-Corp created;” “Investment: $500/LLC created;” “Investment:$500/LP created;” “Investment: $1,000;” “Investment: $1,000/LLCcreated;” “Investment: $1,000/entity created;” “Investment: $1,000/LPcreated;” “Investment: $1,000/S-Corp created;” “Investment: $1,500;”“Investment: $1,500/LLC created;” “Investment: $1,500/S-Corp created;”“Investment: $1,500/LP created;” “Investment: $2,000;38 “Investment:$2,000/entity created;” “Investment: $2,000/LP created;” “Investment:$2,000/LLC created;” “Investment: $2,000/entity created;” “Investment:$2,000/S-Corp created;” “Investment: $2,500;” “Investment: $2,500/S-Corpcreated;” “Investment: $2,500/.LP created;” “Investment: $2,500/.LLCcreated;” “Investment: $3,000/entity created;” “Investment:$4,000/entity created;” “Investment: $5,000/entity created;” “Requires:1 TLC point;” “Requires: 2 TLC points;” “Requires: 3 TLC points;” and“Requires: 4 TLC points.”

The Cash Machine card set 160 includes cards that give the players anopportunity to purchase a business or add to an existing business forearning additional income. Preferably, all players begin the game with aCash Machine, as indicated on the worksheet 222 (not shown), but may ormay not start the game with income from that Cash Machine. Cash Machinecards preferably can only be purchased with cash and not with moneydeposited in the Wealth Account. The purchase of a Cash Machine card isrecorded by reducing the amount of cash in the Assets section 238. CashMachine cards generally increase income generated by the Cash Machine,which is noted in the Income section 232 of the worksheet 222. Thisincrease in income is also reflected in the amount of Total Income insection 232 and Pay Day in section 236. Preferably, the Cash Machineincludes an asset value equal to ten (10) times the periodic income ofthe Cash Machine. Consequently, additional income from the Cash Machinealso increases the Net Worth value in the Net Worth section 242.

The Cash Machine cards present indicia that describes an activityundertaken by the player to produce additional income, e.g., “You & yourmentor execute a mail campaign.;” “You buy a small company that willboost yours.;” “You create a visually appealing image & use it to boostsales.;” “You define your unique selling proposition.;” “You develop &use a powerful media message;” “You develop a new product line & revenuemodel again.;” “You develop a gutsy, edgy marketing campaign thatworks.;” “You develop a computerized revenue model.;” “You develop aclear vision for your business.;” “You develop a revenue model.;” “Youdiscover & market to your true target market.;” “You discover yourmarket Segment, Target, & Position (STP).;” “You emphasize yourproduct's top benefits.;” “You entirely revamp your online orderprocessing.;” “You execute a local PR campaign.;” “You extensivelyrevenue model your business.;” “You find a local company with which tojoint venture.;” “You form a mastermind group.;” “You go through theprocess of revenue modeling.;” “You joint venture with a largecompany.;” “You launch a major Internet marketing campaign.;” “Youlaunch a major international marketing campaign.;” “You let severalfriends try your products for free.;” “You locally place flyers, displayads, & posters.;” “You look over all your books & reduce expenses.;”“You model your business after your successful mentor's.;” “You modelyour business after another successful business.;” “You model yourbusiness after your mentor's successful business.;” “You offer freesamples of your product.;” “You partner with a huge nationaldistributor.;” “You perform extensive tax planning & restructure.;” “Youplace several ads in major magazines.;” “You put out several flyers.;”“You re-brand your business.;” “You set up a joint venture with a majorcompany.;” “You set up an informal “home party.;”” “You set up a jointventure with your mentor.;” “You speak to a local club about yourproduct.;” “You start a joint venture with your visionary peers.;” “Youstreamline your order processing system.;” “You streamline all computersystems.;” “You take advantage of the “4 P's” of marketing (Product,Price, Place, & Promotion).;” “You take a CEO to lunch & re-model yourbusiness operations.;”“Your assistant forwards media leads to your PRperson.;” “Your CPA finds several deductible expenses.;” “Your CPAdiscovers several tax benefits to your Cash Machine.;” “Your Leadershipand Conditioning spur growth.;” “Your mentor lets you give a freeseminar to her business group.;” “Your mentor recommends a sales coursefor your assistant. This opens the door for more training.;” and “Withyour financial team you are able to reduce expenses.”

The Cash Machine cards preferably present an instruction that requiresthe player to have one or more TLC points in order to form the entity,e.g., “Requires: 3 TLC points.” The cards also present an instructionthat recites the monetary investment required to form the entity, e.g.,“Investment: $1,000 minimum;” “Investment: $1,000-$100,000;” “(only in$2,000 increments, NO LIMIT);” and “(only in $5,000 increments).” Theinvestment may be a fixed value or may vary according to the player'sdiscretion. The indicia also recites the amount of monthly incomeassociated with investment in the activity. The recited income may becalculated based on the number of TLC points held by the player or bythe amount of investment selected by the player, e.g., “Your CashMachine cash flow increases $100 for Every $1,000 you invest.;” “YourCash Machine cash flow increases $100 MULTIPLIED by your TLC points.;”and “Your Cash Machine cash flow increases $100 MULTIPLIED by a DieRoll. Roll only 1 Die.”

Some of the activity card sets 146,148,150,152,154,156,158,160preferably include identification indicia 206 in the form of the word“CO-OP” listed with the other instructions. The CO-OP indicia 206indicates that the player who draws the card is permitted to share thatcard with another player. More particularly, the player has the optionof using the card first. The player then has the option of selling thecard to another player for that player to then use. Preferably, theCO-OP indicia 206 is presented by cards in the Forecasting, Assets, andCash Machine card sets 152,154,160. However, the principles of thepresent invention are applicable where cards from other card sets areused by or impact multiple players. Where a player has paid for a CO-OPcard and the card requires a roll of the dice, that player may roll thedice to determine the result of the card rather than use the roll castby any player from whom the CO-OP card was purchased.

Each player may quit their job at any point during the game in order tobe able to roll up to three of the dice 304. The player must then updatetheir worksheet 222 by eliminating job income in the Income section 232and correspondingly changing the amount of Total Income in the Incomesection 232 and Pay Day in the Net Income section 236. The player maylater get the job back at any time but the player must then skip theirnext two turns. As discussed previously, the player can only roll threedice if that player has acquired ten (10) TLC points.

To begin playing the illustrated board game 30, players preferably aregiven one of the worksheets 222 and one of the pencils 312 to track thevarious financial metrics, with each of the players' worksheets 222preferably having the same scenario. According to the scenario, playersare given predetermined sums of cash as discussed previously, but arepreferably not allowed to loan money from the bank at any time. Theplayers are also each given a respective game piece (not shown), whichis placed in the common space 106.

Once the timer 306 is started, the players can start playing by takingturns rolling one or more of the dice 304. Players normally roll twodice 304 at one time. However, if a player has five (5) TLC points, thatplayer is permitted the option of either rolling one or two dice 304.Where a player has acquired ten (10) TLC points, that player ispermitted to roll either one, two, or three dice 304, but that playermust also quit their job, as discussed. When a player rolls doubles,i.e., two dice with the same number, or triples, i.e., three dice withthe same number, they are permitted to take another turn before the nextplayer rolls. If a card directs a player to roll the dice 304 tocalculate a result, the player should roll the dice 304 again instead ofusing the roll that was cast for that player's turn. Where a carddirects a player to roll the dice 304 and the roll will affect otherplayers, usually only the player that drew the card may roll the dice304.

The timer 306 is preferably set for sixty (60) minutes of elapsed timein which to play the game, but players can agree to set a time limitthat is shorter or longer than sixty minutes. The game is then played asdiscussed above, with the timer 306 being preferably paused everyfifteen (15) minutes for a periodic Time Out. During the periodic TimeOut, players can make calculations on their worksheets 222 and can takeactions on activity cards that have already been selected. Also, eachplayer's worksheet 222 is audited by the other players during theperiodic Time Out. For example, each player can hand their worksheet 222to an adjacent player who can verify the amount of Total Income, TotalExpenditures, and Pay Day. The auditing player can also add Total Assetsand Total Liabilities to calculate the Net Worth. Players are preferablyrequired to disclose their Net Worth to the other players during theTime Out. The timer 306 is then restarted after the Time Out and theplayers continue the game. The player with the highest Net Worth at eachTime Out is preferably given a special designation until the next TimeOut, such as “Rock Star.” A special Time Out can optionally be called byany player when one of the players lands on the Pay Day space. However,none of the players are audited by the other players when a special TimeOut is called. At the end of the predetermined time, the player with thehighest value of Net Worth is determined to be the winner of the game.However, it is within the ambit of the present invention to determinethe winner based on other metrics.

The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used asillustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense ininterpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modificationsto the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readilymade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe present invention.

The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine ofEquivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of thepresent invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departingfrom but outside the literal scope of the invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

1. A board game for playing a wealth development game, with an object ofthe game being to maximize net worth, the board game comprising: a gameboard presenting path indicia that define a plurality of paths to befollowed during the game; a plurality of game pieces configured to bepositioned on the game board to play the game, each of said plurality ofpaths including a plurality of discrete activity spaces for receivingthe game pieces, a plurality of cards arranged in multiple activity cardsets, wherein each of the cards presents activity indicia designating awealth activity that affects net worth, each of said activity spacesbeing associated with a corresponding one of the activity card sets,wherein landing one of the plurality of game pieces on one of theactivity spaces directs selection of a card from the correspondingactivity card set; and a fillable financial worksheet including aplurality of sections, with each section including worksheet indiciathat designates a corresponding variable financial metric to be trackedin the section during the game, wherein the financial metrics are usedto calculate net worth, at least one of said financial metrics varyingat least in part according to the activity indicia encountered as aresult of the card selection during the game.
 2. The board game asclaimed in claim 1, wherein corresponding ones of said plurality ofsections present financial metrics selected from the group consistingof: income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and combinations thereof. 3.The board game as claimed in claim 1, said worksheet indicia includingforecast indicia that identifies a forecast value operable to impact thefuture value of the financial metric.
 4. The board game as claimed inclaim 1, said plurality of paths comprising at least six non-overlappingpaths, with each of the non-overlapping paths having a correspondingactivity category, said wealth activity corresponding to the activitycategory.
 5. The board game as claimed in claim 4, each of the sixnon-overlapping paths having category indicia different from the otherpaths.
 6. The board game as claimed in claim 4, each of the sixnon-overlapping paths being triangular in shape and arranged adjacent toone another so that the paths cooperatively form a hexagonal outerperimeter.
 7. The board game as claimed in claim 4, each of saidnon-overlapping paths including an option space associated with all ofthe activity card sets.
 8. The board game as claimed in claim 7, saidplurality of activity spaces and said option space forming a pluralityof spaces, about half of the plurality of spaces of each of thenon-overlapping paths having category indicia that identify the wealthactivity corresponding to the activity category of the path.
 9. Theboard game as claimed in claim 8, each of said non-overlapping pathspresenting about 18 of said plurality of spaces.
 10. The board game asclaimed in claim 4, each of the six-non-overlapping paths starting andending at a common space.
 11. The board game as claimed in claim 1; andfaux money that serves as cash for each of the players.
 12. The boardgame as claimed in claim 1; and a calculator operable to calculatevalues for recording on the worksheet.
 13. The board game as claimed inclaim 1; and a timer for limiting the length of a particular game. 14.The board game as claimed in claim 1; and an accessory for use inplaying the game, said accessory being selected from the groupconsisting of: a rule book, dice, pencil, storage container, andcombinations thereof.
 15. A method of playing a wealth development game,with an object of the game being to maximize net worth, the methodcomprising the steps of: (a) having a player move a game piece along agame path that includes a plurality of activity spaces; (b) upon theplayer landing on one of the activity spaces, having the player select acard from a respective one of multiple card decks, wherein each of thecards presents wealth activity indicia; (c) providing the player with afinancial worksheet for tracking variable financial metrics which areaffected by the wealth activity indicia of the selected card; (d)varying at least one of the financial metrics on the financial worksheetas directed by the wealth activity indicia of the selected card; and (e)calculating net worth of the player based on the plurality of financialmetrics.
 16. The method as claimed in claim 15, step (a) including thestep of selecting the game path from a plurality of game paths tofollow.
 17. The method as claimed in claim 16, step (a) including thestep of moving the game piece along another game path, with each pathbeing associated with a corresponding wealth activity category.
 18. Themethod as claimed in claim 17, step (a) including the step of moving thegame piece entirely through one of the paths before moving to anotherone of the paths.
 19. The method as claimed in claim 17; and (f) movingthe game piece from the game path onto a common space.
 20. The method asclaimed in claim 19; and (g) selecting the another game path by movingfrom the common space onto the another game path.
 21. The method asclaimed in claim 17, wherein the wealth activity categories are selectedfrom the group consisting of: setting up entities, managing debt,managing an asset-purchase account, forecasting of financial metrics,managing incoming cash flow, purchasing assets, and combinationsthereof.
 22. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the game pathincludes a plurality of option spaces; and (f) upon the player landingon one of the option spaces, allowing the player to select a card fromany one of the card decks.
 23. The method as claimed in claim 15; and(f) prior to steps (a)-(d), setting the player's financial metrics atinitial values.
 24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the gameis played by multiple players and step (f) involves providing all of theplayers with the same initial financial metric values.
 25. The method asclaimed in claim 23, said financial metrics being selected from thegroup consisting of: income, expenses, assets, liabilities, andcombinations thereof.
 26. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein thewealth activity indicia presents instructions selected from the groupconsisting of: changing the amount of income, changing the amount ofexpenses, changing the amount of assets, changing the amount ofliabilities, creating a legal entity, changing a non-monetary financialmetric, changing the player's number of future turns, and combinationsthereof.
 27. The method as claimed in claim 15, said financial metricsbeing selected from the group consisting of: income, expenses, assets,liabilities, and combinations thereof.
 28. The method as claimed inclaim 27, step (e) being performed when the game piece reaches an end ofthe game path.
 29. The method as claimed in claim 28, step (e) includingthe step of calculating the income and expenses.
 30. The method asclaimed in claim 29, step (e) including the step of determining theassets and liabilities, step (e) including the step of subtractingliabilities from assets to determine net worth.
 31. The method asclaimed in claim 15, wherein the wealth activity indicia presentsinstructions for varying the financial metrics, at least one of saidfinancial metrics being operable to prevent certain instructions frombecoming effective.
 32. The method as claimed in claim 15, at least oneof the financial metrics being operable as a multiplier in determininganother one of the financial metrics.